New to buying shares I wondered if anyone knows of a good source of tips\advice on the web. Also welcome would be any ideas where I might find a user friendly list explaining the jargon and abbreviations which I am struggling to unvavel?

Was chatting to a formally trained trader a while back who recommended paper trading WITH A PARTNER for a while - could be the spouse, another trader or a friend.

The technique is to paper trade and to keep a tally of how each day goes, and, at the end of each day to pay your losses to your friend at an agreed rate (say 1p per or 1p per 100) and to reclaim your wins from the same friend. This payment must be made with real money - no IOUs.

I think it's a great idea - it enforces discipline, encourages introspection when things go wrong and also encourages the openness that you'll need to have with your spouse when you trade for real.

Gausie

Why not open a spread bet account with Finspreads. You can trade realtime prices on line for pennies instead of 's. Take out a credit account and you don't even have to part with any dosh up front, although you will have to make good any losses.

BTW, I have no connection with them other than as an account holder.